By Jackson Melin
PCC Student Media Advisor Ambur Wilkerson at the 2025 Student Media Celebration with the new Pima Post logo. Photo by Stephanie Montaño.
The Pima Post reached out to Pima Community College Student Media Advisor (and editor of The Pima Post who also edited this article) Ambur Wilkerson for a Q&A about her life and career.
“My love for journalism began when I was a preteen,” Wilkerson said. “I was always getting magazines covering the Disney Channel stars and my friends knew me as the girl who knew all the celebrity gossip.”
“I began pursuing it professionally in 2017 when I interned for City News Group in California,” Wilkerson said. She started a blog about her journey with mental health, and then later chose to pursue journalism as a career more consistently. “I made this decision after starting a blog focused on my experiences as someone with OCD and depression,” Wilkerson stated. She would later graduate from the University of Arizona with a M.A. in journalism.
Professionally, Wilkerson has written for notable publications such as Tucson Weekly and The Daily Beast amongst others.
When asked about what her biggest career accomplishment was, Wilkerson replied “When I was offered the position [as PCC student media advisor], I got emotional. It felt like a dream that I had stepped away from came true.”
As with all things, there are downsides. She explained the potential problems with going to school for journalism. “It’s a lot of work to schedule meeting with sources to interview, dealing with tech issues, etc.”
She also pointed out some issues that Pima has with its journalism program. “In my honest opinion, there are roadblocks here at the college that I hope we will be able to step over,” Wilkerson said.
Her hope is that The Pima Post will build through the students. “I want us to get back to where the OG paper once was (The Aztec Press),” Wilkerson said. “We have the talent, heart and creative energy here at Pima to get back there.”
Wilkerson summed up the potential future of the program in this quote, “Ideally, I see it being a place for students to loudly and proudly let their voices be heard.”
About: Jackson is a passionate sports fan, and has a knack for ranting about it. He loves writing to vocalize these thoughts and opinions. Music, video games, and documentaries occupy his free time. Whether watching or reading, Jackson will look for the deeper meaning. Intriguing stories seem to follow him throughout his writing career.